Short term/temporary van or
car insurance lasts between 1 and 28 days. The law requires that every motorist
have at least third party cover in order to drive on public roads.
For those motorists who need to drive a van for a short period of
time, temporary or short term cover allows them to drive a van that
they don't own in compliance with the law.

Temporary Cover

Although temporary cover may be
purchased for 1 day or up to 28 days, some insurers allow that term
to be extended by another 28 days, though some require a 15-day
waiting period for the same motorist being covered to drive the same
van. Temporary cover is ideal for motorists who just need to borrow
a van to move house or for those going on a two-week vacation with a
group of friends. Some insurers allow a primary driver and an
additional driver to be designated on the policy. Cover is paid by
the day, usually by credit or debit card. Businesses may also
purchase temporary cover for drivers of their vans whom they don't
want to add to their insurance policy. Business owners must check
the policies of insurers, however; temporary cover often limits the
types of business uses that they'll cover.

Drivers

Drivers should be aged between 19 and 75,
and have either a full licence that has been held for over a year, or a
provisional licence (yes, learners can buy short term insurance too!). UK and EU
driving licences are accepted by most insurers and some will also include those
issued in South Africa, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and
Zimbabwe too.

Short term/temporary
cover does not replace one's annual insurance. It often can't serve
the same function as annual insurance. This type of cover is
meant as a supplement to annual insurance for circumstances where
motorists drive a car or van that is not their own, or one that they
just wish to insure temporarily.